ARTmonday: Albert Koetsier’s X-Rayography

When he was eight years old, Dutch-born artist Albert Koetsier made his own camera using a matchbox and pair of magnifying glasses. At 16 he leased a Dalmeyer top-view camera, and finally at the time he married, go this hands on a 35mm camera, which was quite a feat. While he collected cameras and camera parts, his day job was as an x-ray technician. In 1969,

Koetsier noticed a calendar that had x-ray images of flowers on the wall of a doctor’s office, and was immediately intrigued, thinking it was unnecessary to use such pricey equipment to create them. 

Much later, living in California, Koetsier stumbled across a very old, but fully operable x-ray apparatus that he bought very cheaply. It wasn’t until 1991, years later, that Koetsier developed an x-ray that he considered art-worthy. It was a lizard had drowned in the pool, and coincidentally had a broken leg.

Today, Koetsier creates images of plants and flowers using x-ray photography, a project he calls Beyond Light. Here are some examples of his work, many of which are available as wall murals or digitally printed on canvas.

albert-koetsier-xray-photo-dragonfly

albert-koetsier-xray-photo-horsetail

albert-koetsier-xray-photo-starfish

albert-koetsier-xray-photo-2

albert-koetsier-xray-photo-6

albert-koetsier-xray-photo-pine-tree

albert-koetsier-xray-photo-4

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Shop the carefully curated collection of artwork at Serena & Lily >

Shop Serena & Lily Art Collection

ARTmonday: Connecticut Collection

I spent a few days in Connecticut before fleeing the Northeast for sunny South Florida. As I may have mentioned before, my in-laws have all sorts of wonderful artwork. I took a bunch of Instagram shots of their collection. Many Cape Cod/NYC artists, who are also longtime family friends, are represented, including Budd Hopkins, Paul Resika, Selina Treif, Joan Miller, and Sidney Simon, as well as my husband’s great, great grandmother, Ina Whitney, whom I didn’t even realize was a painter.  I’ve also included a piece by James Rosenberg, which was their very first piece of art, given to them by my husband’s grandparents, and painted the year they were married. Here are the highlights of the artwork that is hanging in their home at the moment.

budd-hopkins-yellow

Budd Hopkins

budd-hopkins-red-purple

Budd Hopkins

girl-in-pink-shirt

Gerritt Hondius

green-fields-painting

Maurice Freedman

herman-maril

Herman Maril

herman-maril-farm

Herman Maril

ina-whitney-still-life

Ina Whitney

arthur-cohen-painting

Arthur Cohen

edwin-dickinson-nude

Edwin Dickinson

eagle-sculpture

This eagle is carved out of a single piece of wood.

judyth-katz-mountains

Judyth Honeycutt Katz

judyth-katz-tree

Judyth Honeycutt Katz (detail)

keiko-minami-friends

Keiko Minami

sidney-simon-nude

Sidney Simon

wolf-kahn-landscape

Wolf Kahn

trees-detail

Nora Speyer (detail)

man-with-cats

Paul Resika

march-avery-cat

March Avery

march-avery-woman-stripes

March Avery

selina-treif-roosters

Selina Trieff

selina-treif-bird

Selina Treiff

tropical-bird-painting

Oliver Chaffee

james-rosenberg-trees

James Rosenberg

paul-resika-trees

Paul Resika

paul-resika-purple-sailboat

Paul Resika

paul-resika-red-yellow

Paul Resika

joan-mcd-miller-laundry

Joan McD Miller

joan-mcd-miller-nude

Joan McD Miller

elspeth-halvorsen

Elspeth Halvorsen

remo-farrugio-oil-painting

Remo Farruggio

ARTmonday: Winter Trees

Back in April, I published ARTmonday: 22 Trees.  When I realized I kept noticing artwork with trees, I decided to feature more wintry subjects. And since we got our first big snow in Boston, now’s the perfect time.

Trees are really great if you’re working with a large space. Landscape murals or digitally printed oversize canvases can make a big impact, especially in a spare space.  The icicles hanging from the birch tree in your backyard could look great blown up. Ocean waves for that matter also look cool; very relaxing.

Ikea carries an oversize ocean wave canvas print that my friend Deb, who’s an architect, hung in her Florida condo; it has a funky South Beach effect. I may be getting off track… here are beautiful winter tree artworks that might instill some appreciation of nature and colder temps. Perhaps they’ll inspire you? 

frozen-sky-philippe-sainte-laudy

Frozen Sky, Philippe Saint-Laudy

Snow Covered Pond By Gregory Hennen

Snow Covered Pond, Wyatt Mt. PondGregory Hennen

Courtesy Kenise Barnes Fine Art

daniel-seung-lee-belmont-tree

Belmont Harbor Tree II, Chicago, Daniel Seung Lee

elviage-pearl-jennifer-squires

Elviage Pearl, Jennifer Squires

alone-in-the-forest-society-6

Alone In the Forest, Robert Farkas/Deny Designs

robin-trees-sandra-dieckmann

Robin Trees, Sandra Dieckmann

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ARTmonday: What I Saw At Art Basel Miami

I went down to Florida last week for some sun, a family visit, and a couple of jaunts into Miami for Art Basel Miami 2013. It was the first time I’d been, and I didn’t see a ton, but I did enjoy what I did take in at the convention center. The works there (as opposed to many of the other shows that go on in surrounding areas), are incredibly high end. Walking through the windowless, cement floored, vast space was liking walking through a museum, without the good architecture.

Josef Albers, Jeff Koons, Fernando Botero, Adolph Gottlieb, Alexander Calder, Claus Oldenburg, Picasso, Robert Indiana—I saw works by all. Plus the ones below. I labeled where I could. (Thanks Artsy for the extra assistance.) If you can identify any that I left out, please leave a comment. Thanks!

art-basel-miami-gallery-wall

Art Basel Miami 2013

Art Basel Miami 2013

 Barbara Kruger

art-basel-miami-resin-detail

Markus Linnenbrink (detail)

Art Basel Miami 2013

 Anish Kapoor

art-basel-miami-floral

 Tony Oursler

art-basel-miami-max-ernst

 Max Ernst

art-basel-miami-music-meat

art-basel-miami-donald-judd

 Donald Judd

art-basel-miami-bubble-sculpture

 Bertrand Lavier

art-basel-miami-wayne-thibaud

Wayne Thiebaud

art-basel-miami-sell-your-debt

Claire Fontaine

art-basel-miami-no-more-words

art-basel-miami-pink-fluorescent

art-basel-miami-bird-sculpture

art-basel-miami-pink-quote

art-basel-miami-pink-quote-detail

art-basel-miami-polly-appfelbaum

 Polly Apfelbaum

art-basel-miami-resin-sculpture

Ann Veronica Janssens

art-basel-miami-sayings

art-basel-miami-kenneth-noland

Paintings: Kenneth Noland

art-basel-miami-white-exhibit

 Left: Dadamaino |  Middle: Alberto Biasi

art-basel-miami-white-mixed-media

art-basel-miami-blue-splatter

 Sam Francis

art-basel-miami-chuck-close

 Chuck Close

art-basel-miami-chuck-close-detail

Chuck Close (detail)

art-basel-miami-alex-katz

 Alex Katz

art-basel-miami-joe-zucker

 Joe Zucker

art-basel-miami-dan-flavin-detail

 Dan Flavin (detail)

art-basel-miami-les-grands-transparents

Man Ray

art-basel-miami-letters-sculpture

art-basel-miami-lichtenstein

Roy Lichtenstein

art-basel-miami-drips

art-basel-miami-richard-diebenkorn

Richard Diebenkorn

art-basel-miami-no-way

Mel Bochner

art-basel-miami-neon-lips

art-basel-miami-model

art-basel-miami-pink-abstract

art-basel-miami-sculpture

Gift Guide: 24 Artworks

It’s true that art is personal, but if you know somebody well, you should still be able to choose a piece of art that suits him or her. A pretty landscape, a funky abstract, a minimalist still life, a furry little animal. There are a number of subjects and price points for artwork as gifts.

Jane Mount Fashion Bookshelf Print 20x200

Ideal Bookshelf 505: Fashion Print by Jane Mount

Montrose_Sharon_Flamingo-No.4_1000_1024x1024

Flamingo No. 4 by Sharon Montrose

northrup

Surf Family Print by Michael Northrup

by-the-lake

By the Lake by Kelly Neidig

Ellen Levine Dodd Landscape Oil Painting

Cape Cod Marsh 10 Painting by Ellen Levine Dodd

Bayview 3 Original Painting Jenny Prinn

Bayview 3 Painting by Jenny Prinn

Abstract Original Artwork Serena & Lily

Mid Century Colorful Optical Art Study by Dellard Cassity

Sally Benedict King Original Paintings Furbish Studio

Cacti Sun Painting by Sally King Benedict

Abstract Painting By Megan Donnelly

Terrace Painting by Megan Donnelly

Abstract Painting By Keila Marino

Expletion Painting by Keila Marino

Lulu DK Abstract Art Collage Screen Print

Boom2 Framed Print by Lulu DK

black-and-white-cat-photo

Curiosity Framed Print by Jon Bertelli

art furbish Elizabeth_Mayville_Bruce_Sleeping_Print__74208.1380213687.450.450

Bruce Sleeping Giclee Print by Elizabeth Mayville

art S&L abstracts

Rise & Shine Framed Screenprint by Becky Hui Chan

circle

Circle Poster Issue 3 by Travis Robertson

her 150 S&L appleprint

Apple Screen Print by G. Anderson

seb type

Sebastian’s Typewriter by AC Photography

Aha-Life-Mitch-Paster-Abstract

Untitled (Salvation) Print by Mitch Paster

art S&L wayne pate

Rise of the Setting Sun Print by Wayne Pate

warren

Contemporary Bold Abstract Painting by Warren Snodgrass

Lulu DK Floral Print

Juniper Framed Print by Lulu DK

Kate Lewis Chair Interior Artwork

Dash of Disco Giclee Print by Kate Lewis

Britt Bass Abstract Artwork

He and I Print by Britt Bass

Screen Shot 2013-12-02 at 8.12.57 AM

Kate 2 Photograph by Burton Machen

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Shop the carefully curated collection of artwork at Serena & Lily >

Shop Serena & Lily Art Collection